Yellow Jackets by sassafrasbeefarm

Tags

pests, swarms, wasps, yellow jackets

Yellow jackets. Not that you can see any in the picture, this was a call for a honey bee removal. I’ll give the caller credit for thinking they couldn’t be yellow jackets because they weren’t in the ground and they were in a hollow (sort of) cavity. Sometimes those pesky yellow jackets do things differently.

From Wikipedia:

Yellowjacket or Yellow jacket is the common name in North America for predatory social wasps of the genera Vespula and Dolichovespula. Members of these genera are known simply as “wasps” in other English-speaking countries. Most of these are black and yellow like the eastern yellowjacket Vespula maculifrons and the aerial yellowjacket Dolichovespula arenaria; some are black and white like the bald-faced hornet, Dolichovespula maculata. Others may have the abdomen background color red instead of black. They can be identified by their distinctive markings, their occurrence only in colonies, and a characteristic, rapid, side-to-side flight pattern prior to landing. All females are capable of stinging. Yellowjackets are important predators of pest insects.^[1]

Yellowjackets are sometimes mistakenly called “bees” (as in “meat bees”), given that they are similar in size and sting, but yellowjackets are actually wasps. They may be confused with other wasps, such as hornets and paper wasps. Polistes dominula, a species of paper wasp, is very frequently misidentified as a yellowjacket. A typical yellowjacket worker is about 12 mm (0.5 in) long, with alternating bands on the abdomen; the queen is larger, about 19 mm (0.75 in) long (the different patterns on their abdomens help separate various species). Workers are sometimes confused with honey bees, especially when flying in and out of their nests. Yellowjackets, in contrast to honey bees, have yellow or white markings, are not covered with tan-brown dense hair on their bodies, do not carry pollen, and do not have the flattened hairy hind legs used to carry it.

These species have lance-like stingers with small barbs, and typically sting repeatedly,^[1] though occasionally a stinger becomes lodged and pulls free of the wasp’s body; the venom, like most bee and wasp venoms, is primarily only dangerous to humans who are allergic or are stung many times. All species have yellow or white on their faces. Their mouthparts are well-developed with strong mandibles for capturing and chewing insects, with probosces for sucking nectar, fruit, and other juices. Yellowjackets build nests in trees, shrubs, or in protected places such as inside man-made structures, or in soil cavities, tree stumps, mouse burrows, etc. They build them from wood fiber they chew into a paper-like pulp. Many other insects exhibit protective mimicry of aggressive, stinging yellowjackets; in addition to numerous bees and wasps (Müllerian mimicry), the list includes some flies, moths, and beetles (Batesian mimicry).

Yellowjackets’ closest relatives, the hornets, closely resemble them, but have larger heads, seen especially in the large distance from the eyes to the back of the head.^[1]

Read more here: Wikipedia

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Drawn Comb, Wax Moths, and Fish Bait by sassafrasbeefarm

Tags

beekeeping, drawn comb, management, pests, wax moths

You can always buy more bees, catch a swarm, make a split, or otherwise replace bees. But drawn comb can not be purchased. Having drawn comb in early spring exponentially increases a colony’s productivity versus starting on foundation. A spring package placed on drawn comb typically makes surplus honey the same year.

After the nectar flow, beekeepers must protect their drawn comb from wax moths which will take every opportunity to destroy your bee’s legacy.  You may have to store drawn comb after pulling honey supers, extracting, removing dead outs or removing excess hive bodies as the bee colony population reduces. Always remember, drawn comb is beekeepers’ gold and should be saved and preserved until placed back into use the following spring.

Here are a few excerpts from emails discussing protecting drawn comb from wax moths during storage:

Wax moths are attracted to older brood comb. The residual proteins found in brood comb are their attractant. Typically they will not show any interest (or minimal) in the clean white wax found in honey supers. If any of the comb on a frame has been used at any time in the past for brood rearing it is subject to wax moth infestation.

Be thankful they are on plastic foundation. Otherwise you often have to replace the foundation. And if they are in wooden frames wax moths will actually bore holes in the wood as well. On plastic you can scrape it off and re-coat with wax for next year.

On placing frames in the freezer to kill the wax moth eggs: You can google wax moth, life cycle, etc and find some research. The success of killing the larvae and eggs is dependent on temperature and length of time of exposure. Two days may be sufficient IF your freezer is at 0 degrees F. If your freezer is kept at 20 degrees F it may take 6 days. And if at 32 degrees F it may take longer. (These are just guesses but perhaps you get the idea that an overnight in the freezer may not do the job.) Some people with a limited number of frames can store them in the freezer until outdoor temperatures are colder.

In the bee yard, there is a temperature range for wax moth reproduction. When the outdoor temperatures get cool enough (typically after first freeze) they are typically no longer a threat.

Every year we get posts on the Mid-State Beekeepers discussion board with pictures saying they froze the comb for X number of days then placed it in a Tupperware or other container and stored under the house or some similar dark place only to find the comb destroyed by spring. Last year in bee school a member of the class asked me about this specifically and said if he placed the frames in the freezer for X number of days and then immediately placed it in lawn trash bags and sealed them completely shouldn’t that work? I told him that “in theory” his plan would work but my experience is some eggs will hatch, a mouse will chew a hole, etc., and if conditions are right they will destroy his comb.

On Paramoth (paradichlorobenzene) crystals: The approved product for use with stored comb, and properly labeled, is Paramoth. Moth balls and crystals found in dollar stores, Walmart, and elsewhere may not be pure paradichlorobenzene or worse yet, may be another chemical, naphthalate a known carcinogenic.

Paramoth works well but it is not a one and done application. Use them according to the label and do not under-dose. The crystals “melt” as they release their gas into the supers. Periodically check them throughout the storage period (or until the weather turns cold) and replenish them as needed. I’ve seen some people tape the edges of the hive bodies to make a gas seal. Unfortunately this dark, sealed environment is also ideal for the moths when the para-moth dissolves and no longer provides protection. A period of airing out is necessary before placing the comb back into use.

Storing drawn comb using open air, light, and breeze: I did this one year with good success by placing the hive bodies on their sides under a covered overhang. The light, air, and breeze is an uninviting environment for the moths. This takes a bit of work to lay out the area such that all of the needed components are present AND the frames are protected from the elements. But if you only have a few hive bodies it’s possible. Also, be aware that anything placed outside is subject to squirrels, mice, and other hungry travelers who like the comb, pollen, and honey residuals.

Bacillus thuringiensis aizawa returns! BT (bacillus thuringiensis aizawa): BT is a gram-positive, soil-dwelling bacterium, commonly used as a biological pesticide. This works well and in past years was recommended by the Xerces Society as an approved organic control. Some years ago BT was on the market for use by beekeepers as a product to control wax moths in stored frames until its registration expired and was not renewed by the manufacturer. It has again been registered for use and should start showing up at your favorite beekeeping supply house soon. I have not yet seen it on websites nor in the catalogs. (Word in the bee yard says call Dadant by phone and they’ll hook you up.)  A June 2020 article titled: Valent BioSciences Partners with Vita Bee Health to Develop New Biological Wax Moth Control That Safeguards Health of Honeybees indicates it’s returning to the market. I have a friend that uses BT and sprays the comb as it is coming out of the extractor. Care must be taken to protect the BT sprayed comb from temperatures above 86F degrees  as the bacterium can not survive at higher temperatures. More information can be found in this January release by ABJ here.

Final notes on BT: 1) Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki readily available in garden centers is not the same as bacillus thuringiensis aizawa. 2) There is a product called XenTari for use as non chemical, organic bio control method and approved for use on organic crops is also Bacillus thuringiensis, aizawai. However it is not approved for use as a control for wax moths on comb nor labeled as such. Remember, use of non approved chemicals without proper labelling places the beekeeper at risk should someone claim harm after eating honey from hives where pesticides were not used in accordance with the law.

In closing, for those who protect their drawn comb now, next spring will pay huge dividends in the way of easy splits and surplus honey. And for those who choose to not protect their drawn comb from wax moths don’t despair, I understand the larvae are great as fishing bait.

You can read more about the Greater Wax Moth here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galleria_mellonella

And on the Lesser Wax Moth here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_wax_moth

Everything Starts with a Tasty Meal by sassafrasbeefarm

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beekeeping, management, pests

Quite literally, everything starts with a tasty meal.

In 1943 Abraham Maslow wrote a psychology article proposing a human heirarchy of needs. The short and sweet of the article is: humans start with meeting their basic needs such as food and shelter and, only as those needs are secure can we move to more advanced levels of operations.

So, what does this have to do with bees or insects? Well, we probably need to understand other life forms also have a hierarchy of needs even if limited or primitive. Instead of behaviorally based it’s totally instinctual and for most it starts with food and ends with reproduction. Small Hive Beetles, Wax Moths, Yellow Jackets, and other pests are simply trying to have a tasty meal and move on to reproduction.

Our job, as beekeepers, is to interrupt their ability to progress from food acquisition to reproduction. They want food; deny them access to food and they never progress to reproduction. Let this thought occupy our minds as we contemplate how to combat these pests (after all, we’re already fed so we can operate on higher Maslovian levels).

Denying food to pests: Does our bee feeding program build up the opposing armies as well as feed our bees? Do you see SHB or yellow jackets at your feeding station? Have we provided our hives with adequate defensive tools like entrance reducers, SHB traps, and “hive right-sizing” to guard and protect food stores? Are we inadvertently announcing food availability with fragrant oils to attract pests who are actively seeking out food sources?

Using their needs against them: Bait traps can turn the tables on the pests by tricking them into thinking a food source is available. Simple, cheap traps can be made to attract these pests while NOT attracting honey bees. Poor, poor pests; can’t we all just get a snack? If they are hungry they are more likely to try that bait trap. Be careful not to create an increase in pest pressure through careless feeding of the foes.

My point is simply, if they don’t eat they don’t reproduce.

I remember some time back being encouraged to think like a honey bee. During these times of food dearth, perhaps it also pays to start thinking like a pest.

The Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend. by Berks County PA Honey Bee Removal

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bald faced hornets, honey bee pests, hornets, management of honey bee disaeses and pests, yellow jackets

About this time of year, for the past several years, most of my honeybee colonies would be fending off hundreds of yellow jackets daily. They also would deal with the occasional baldfaced hornet, but to a much lesser extent. This year however (so far), I have witnessed a grand total of 2 yellow jackets, and 2 baldfaced hornets attempting to harass my bees.

So why the picture of my topbar hive full of European hornets? It was back in May that I noticed a single, huge mother hornet enter my empty topbar hive. I looked through the viewing window to see an adorable little paper cone about the size of a silver dollar hanging from a bar. I was preparing to go in and smoosh it, along with mamma when I thought to spend a minute researching these things. I decided to leave it be, and if it got out of hand, then I’d kill it. It never really did get out of hand in my opinion, and it has been as interesting to observe as any other social insect colony.

Read the full article and follow some links to videos here: The Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend. — Berks County PA Honey Bee Removal 19601

Poor Man’s Yellow Jacket Trap

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beekeeping, beekeeping pests, pests, yellow jacket trap, yellow jackets

I’ve made several traps in the past with varying degrees of success. Here’s one specifically designed that allows the yellow jackets to enter but not the honey bees. I think it is a 5/32 size hole. Last year I tinkered with the mix formula. Instead of totally sweet which would attract the honey bees I stumbled onto a mix of apple sauce, vinegar, and a spoonful of sugar (just enough to get a fermentation going). The yellow jackets like the CO2 and I think and the vinegar is not attractive to the honey bees. I used a 2 liter bottle and filled it about half way full in a short time. If you get your bait mix down it will not attract the bees at all and you can then open up the entrances for the yellow jackets.

Deformed Wing Virus by Prime Bees – College Station Bee & Honey Farm

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deformed wing virus, honey bee diseases, honey bee pests

Deformed wing virus (DWV) is a highly viral disease transmitted by Varroa destructor. The disease is commonly found in colonies infested with mites. Deformed Wing Virus is regarded as deadly due to its ability to spread fast in any colony. It causes massive wing deformation in bees making it difficult for them to live normally. DWV which is regarded as a low-grade infectious disease is commonly triggered by mite infestations. It has a reputation for being massively destructive leading to the decimation of well-established colonies globally. The deformed wing virus is common in late summer and early fall. A high concentration of mites can be overwhelming for any bee colony.

Read the full article here: Deformed Wing Virus — Prime Bees – College Station Bee & Honey Farm

Honeybees, Wasps, or Yellowjackets? by sassafrasbeefarm

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beekeeping, management, pests

It’s that time of the year again when we get lots of calls to remove flying insects that are actually yellowjackets or wasps, and not honeybees.

Disease Management and Guidelines for the Honey Bee by NC State Extension

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disease management, diseases of honey bees, honey bee pests, management, management of honey bee disaeses and pests, pests

“It is the goal of every beekeeper to maintain healthy, productive colonies. This can only be accomplished by reducing the frequency and prevalence of disease within beehives. The following is an outline of recommendations for detecting and treating colonies for economically important parasites and pathogens of honey bees so that beekeepers may achieve this goal, and do so in a sustainable way for the long-term health of their colonies.”

---

Overview

Disease/Pest	Causative Agent	Symptoms
Adult Parasites
Varroa mites	The parasitic mite Varroa destructor	Presence of adult mites, deformed wings
Tracheal mites	The parasitic mite Acarapis woodi	K-wings, morbidity
Nosema	The protozoan Nosema apis	Diarrhea, distended abdomens
Brood Pathogens
American foulbrood (AFB)	The bacterium Paenibacillus larvae	Discolored larvae, foul smelling brood, ropy remains, scale
European foulbrood (EFB)	The bacterium Melissococcus pluton and associated flora	Discolored larvae, foul smelling brood, non-ropy remains, no scale
Chalkbrood	The fungus Ascophaera apis	White or black mummies in cells or on bottom board
Sacbrood	A viral infection	Brown larvae in the curled “canoe” shape
Hive Pests
Wax moths	Larvae of Galaria mellonella	Silk cocoons and/or tunnels
Small hive beetle (SHB)	Larvae of Aethinda tumida	Wet combs, maggot-like larvae

Read the full Extension Guide titled “Disease Management and Guidelines for the Honey Bee by NC State Extension here: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/disease-management-and-guidelines-for-the-honey-bee

Varroa Destructor, Eradication is the Goal: Gene Silencing is the Tool by Here We Bee

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beekeeping, management, pests, varroa mites

Of all the bad things out there threatening the survival of honey bees in our brave new world, none is more lethal than the Varroa destructor mite.

The Varroa mite has done more than just imperil the future of honey bees, and with that future the very food supply we all depend on. It has pitted beekeeper against beekeeper in the endless debate on whether to treat Varroa mites in your colony, or go treatment free. Treatment lite?

Should we, as Seeley and Winston have suggested, turn our bee genome inside out in pursuit of a honey bee that might outrun Varroa but will end up being just another kind of wasp…no honey harvests, no increase? Do we even have a choice?
[…]

Read more about this interesting option here:  Eradication is the Goal: Gene Silencing is the Tool — Here We Bee

Varroa mites—bees’ archenemies—have genetic holes in their armour by BEEKeeperTom’s Blog

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beekeeping, honey bee biology, management, pests, varroa mites

Seemingly indestructible Varroa mites have decimated honeybee populations and are a primary cause of colony collapse disorder, or CCD. Michigan State University scientists have found genetic holes in Varroa mites’ armor that could potentially reduce or eliminate the marauding invaders. Credit: Zachary HuangMichigan State University scientists have found genetic holes in the pests’ armor that…

Read full article here:  Varroa mites—bees’ archenemies—have genetic holes in their armour — BEEKeeperTom’s Blog

Honey Bees and Yellow Jackets = Two Different Things by The Byrd and the Bees

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beekeeping, pests

I’m not fond of yellow jackets. I don’t know anyone who is, though they are considered a beneficial insect because they pollinate. Here is a sweet little honey bee. Look at that fuzz, those intelligent looking eyes! Even though she’s capable of stinging, you know she’d rather just get on with her work. Now look […]

Read more here: Honey Bees and Yellow Jackets = Two Different Things — The Byrd and the Bees

Management of honey bee colonies may contribute to Varroa populations, study shows — IPM in the South

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beekeeping, management, pests, varroa mites

Close proximity of honey bee colonies may contribute to Varroa population growth and virus transmission, according to an article recently published in Environmental Entomology.

Read more here:  Management of honey bee colonies may contribute to Varroa populations, study shows — IPM in the South

What Affects Pollinator Health? — National Post

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beekeeping, management, pests, varroa mites

The biggest threat to honey bee health is the varroa mite. These parasites feed primarily on the honey bee by attaching themselves to its body and drinking the blood of both the adults and the young.

via What Affects Pollinator Health? — National Post

How the Varroa Mite Co-Opts Honey Bee Behaviors to Its Own Advantage

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beekeeping, management, pests, varroa mites

As the managed honey bee industry continues to grapple with significant annual colony losses, the Varroa destructor mite is emerging as the leading culprit. And, it turns out, the very nature of modern beekeeping may be giving the parasite the exact conditions it needs to spread nearly beyond control. In an article published yesterday in […]

via How the Varroa Mite Co-Opts Honey Bee Behaviors to Its Own Advantage — Entomology Today

Wax moths – an unlikely environmental hero.

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beekeeping, pests

Wax moths have been one of my biggest challenges as a beekeeper, they’ve caught me out a fair few times. In my first season I listened to some advice that moths weren’t attracted to honey supers because they didn’t have the scent of broad in. That cost me stack of supers. Last year I…

via Wax moths – an unlikely environmental hero. — The Beehive Jive

ProVap110 Oxalic Acid Sublimator by sassafrasbeefarm

Tags

beekeeping, chores, management, oxalic acid, pests, product review, Provap110, varroa, varroa destructor, varroa mites

Product Review:

For Varroa mite control, I sprung for a ProVap110 this year. I put it through the paces this week and thought I’d report on it here.

View Video Here:

Disclaimer first: Yes, Larry of OxaVap is a friend of mine. We met at a South Carolina Beekeepers Association conference several years ago and hit it off talking bees non stop for the duration of the conference. This was all before oxalic acid was approved for use in the United States. Larry told me then it would be the next big deal in Varroa mite control and apparently he was right as it was approved a couple years later. (Larry also told me where U.S. beekeepers were already ordering vaporizers from across the border in Canada.) Anyway, Larry and I always look forward to conferences and hanging out, telling bee stories when we can.

Before getting the ProVap110 I was using two Varrox, pan type ,vaporizers. Using two really sped up my mite treatments. Duh, twice as fast, right? No, don’t ask me how but everything moved faster and down time between hives was less so I really think I was doing the job in less than half the time than with one.

Recently, Larry suggested I needed to try the ProVap110 but I was resistant due to the issue of needing AC current. He said that most inexpensive car/truck inverters would do the job as it only used 250 watts and 2.2 amps. I checked and Harbor Freight had an inexpensive inverter. But I really wanted to be able to treat without having to drive my truck into sometimes muddy out yards. Larry assured me that a long extension cord run would not be a problem but I resisted and bought a small WEN 1800watt generator. I do plan on buying that inverter as well but the WEN1800w is under 50 pounds and, so far, I really like it and don’t have to worry about getting my truck stuck in a muddy out yard field while vaporizing mites.

One morning this week I oxalic acid vaporized 32 hives in about an hour and 15 minutes. As with the old Varrox, you still have the setup time of placing IPM boards under screened bottom boards to help seal the hive as well as a damp dishcloth across the entrance. I left the WEN1800w generator in the back of my truck and used a 50 ft extension cord. The extension cord had no noticeable effect on the operation as the ProVap performed exactly as the enclosed paperwork stated it would. I will use a 100 ft extension next time to see if that has any effect. The ProVap110 took about 2 to 3 minutes to reach its operating temperature of 230C. The unit adjusts to maintain that temperature throughout its use. I’ll place a link to a video in this post for those who have not seen how it operates. Basically, after it reaches its operating temperature a measured amount of OA is placed in a cup and attached to the ProVap110 while inverted. The nozzle is inserted into a 1/4″ predrilled hole in the hive body and the unit is spun around to its upright position causing the OA to drop into the 230C pan. The temperature readout dropped to approximately 208C when the OA came in contact with the heating unit and immediately began its rise back to 230C. Within about 20 seconds the temperature had returned to 230C and I removed the unit from the hive. An additional “cup” is provided so the user can prepare the dose for the next hive during the 20 second wait. And so it goes hopscotching down the row of hives.

Some things I learned are: 1) Hole placement is more critical than I first expected. I had used a homemade template based on the instruction sheet and some of the holes were drilled into handholds which caused me to have to hold the unit in place instead of leaving it to prep the next dose. The instructions say drill the hole 3 to 4 inches up from the bottom . I will drill future holes below the handholds in the lower box – if you use cleats drill well below. You want the vapors to circulate readily once inside the hive so make the hole in that area where the frames are narrow (lower half) to allow for the bees to move around the frame. 2) The tube that sends the vapor into the hive is copper and about 3/4″ in length. That makes sense since it is going into a hive body with a thickness of 3/4″. Longer and it could bottom out on a frame inside. Unrelated to the tube length but I’d like the tube to be made of a harder metal than copper if possible – I am uncomfortable with the possibility of bending the copper tubing. 3) You will need an acid/vapor PPE mask as you will be in close proximity of the OA vapor. There is no getting around this. I currently use a 3M 7502 mask with organic vapor/ acid gas filters – $13.99 on Ebay, and non vented safety goggles – $7.99 Ebay. The mask worked great and I never even got a whiff while standing behind the hive administering the OA vapor. (more on this later)

Some of the nice things about the unit are: 1) Its speed. I usually just stood there behind the hive for 20 seconds and let it do its thing. 2) The plume of vapor into the hive is thick and sudden. The bees don’t have the “warning time” they did with pan type vaporizers to start fanning. Bang, it’s in there and done. Most of the hives didn’t object any more than they did with the pan vaporizer but a couple did. All hives settled down soon afterwards. 3) The almost constant 230C temperature ensures the OA is properly sublimated. I always suspected the gradual warming of the OA with the pan vaporizers may have wasted some of the OA as it was evaporated, boiled off, or was otherwise consumed instead of sublimated thus diminishing the dose. The ProVap110 ensures the OA always hits the pan at exactly 230C. 4) I often lose my biggest and strongest hives over the winter. I’ve always suspected it might be related to inadequate OA treatment reaching the upper boxes. Now I can treat the hive via a 1/4″ hole placed anywhere, in any box, instead of just underneath the hive. And don’t worry about drilling 1/4″ holes in your woodenware, the bees will propolize it soon enough or you can use a golf tee or dowel rod to plug. 5) It would be nice to have a half dozen of the “caps.” to prepare in advance. It’s not essential; that’s just my OCD speaking.

General comments: Most efficient use would necessitate a planned layout of the hives in the bee yard. If you scatter your hives around here and there you’ll waste time in transit. I have basically three different zones in my home yard. This meant driving the truck to three different positions and repositioning the drop cord each time. I think keeping your hives within a 100 foot radius and using a 100 foot drop cord might be ideal. Having plenty of IPM boards available is also a great time saver as transferring them hive to hive is a time waster. Luckily I have plenty to use in case of a severe winter but others may not. The hives with solid bottom boards were easiest to treat.

Now, here’s an interesting thing: The visible escaping particulate using the ProVap110 was noticeably less than when using pan type vaporizers. I can’t really account for why this is other than the bees don’t have the 2 – 4 minutes to start fanning before the deed is done. I actually used the ProVap110 in the first two hives and thought, “Did it work?” So I loaded the ProVap110, held it downwind, and flipped it to see if it was sublimating the OA. Yes, it was working and it’s done in about 20 seconds. If you look at the video, at the end the guy does exactly this and you can see how thick the plume is and how fast it comes out. Anyway, my point is, there appears to be less particulate escaping the hive than with pan vaporizers – and that’s a good thing!

Cleanup is a breeze. A little water to wash out the areas where the OA comes in contact was quick and easy. The unit itself cools off quickly when unplugged which is good and bad. Good for safety once you are done but moving into different bee yard zones meant having to wait the 2 – 3 minutes for the unit to return to operating temperature. I’m convinced I can shave 30 minutes off my first effort implementing some of the changes mentioned above.

I am satisfied with the unit over the pan type vaporizers for a few reasons: time efficiency, proper sublimation, flexibility in selecting placement of the area the OA is administered, and ease of use. I’d recommend it to anyone that starts to feel that pan-type vaporizing is taking too much of their bee management time that could be better spent more productively.

Addendum August 31st, 2017: After having used the ProVap100 for multiple yard treatments I thought I’d comment on a couple items I hedged on in my first review (above). First, use of multiple extension cords makes no noticeable difference in either warm up time or time to sublimate the oxalic acid. I am now using two fifty foot extensions cords and I get the same excellent performance as with one. Second, After having a problem with my gas powered generator I purchased an inexpensive 400 watt inverter at my local Harbor Freight store for ~ $23.00 USD. Using this as my power source the ProVap100 performed again without any degrading of performance. At $23.00 versus what I paid for the gas powered generator I’d opt for the inverter first unless there was an issue with access to the bee yard. Third, Thus far this year I have not lost my biggest hives post nectar flow and during the Varroa buildup as I have in previous years. I am unable to say that positive outcome is a result of the ProVap100 but I suspect it is a contributing factor. I remain very happy with the unit and from emails and messages I have received from people that have also purchased one they are likewise happy with the efficiency and ease of use of this unit.

 

Buzzkill: Will America’s Bees Survive? | DiscoverMagazine.com

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beekeeping, honey bee biology, pests

The science and politics of saving America’s bees gets messy. And the bees continue to die.

Source: Buzzkill: Will America’s Bees Survive? | DiscoverMagazine.com

Our Hives They Are a-Changin’

Tags

beekeeping, honey bee biology, management, pests, varroa mites

Source: Our Hives They Are a-Changin’ by Bees with eeb

Aside from a single white morning this winter, we have had very little snow in Virginia. The weather is unusually warm and the bees seem to get a flying day once a week or so. I suspect the insect population will be robust this year, from small hive beetles to other assorted insects, due to our lack of cold weather. Soon the bees will start ramping up for spring, and I have been keeping an eye on the mite populations in Mars and Jupiter.

Mite Counts

I have screened bottom boards on Mars and Jupiter and count the mites every few days to determine the average daily mite drop. It is nice to track this number through the winter and have a sense of overall hive infestation. As you can see, the mites were high in Mars and had starting creeping up in Jupiter in mid-November. I did an oxalic acid dribble (OAD) on Nov 28 to knock them back. Oxalic acid is an organic compound found in rhubarb, spinach, and a number of other plants. Varroa mites react poorly to it, while the bees have a natural tolerance. I treated every hive in the apiary, which is recommended since the bees (and mites) will drift from hive to hive.

Right now the mite counts are low, around 1 to 2 mites per day. Soon, as the hives start to raise new workers, the mites will increase. Last year the uptick started in mid-February, so we’ll see when it starts changing this year.

The Varroa Problem

Speaking of our most dreaded pest, it appears that nationwide mites are starting to show some resistance to the most common synthetic pesticide, amitraz. I wouldn’t touch the stuff, but many commercial beekeepers use it. This could create some serious trouble for these outfits as well as crops such as almonds that heavily depend on bee pollination. The situation prompted Randy Oliver at Scientific Beekeeping to create a series of articles calling for a new focus on developing mite-resistant honey bees. Visit his articles by publication date page to see the series so far: part 1 through part 4 as of this posting.

The articles provide an in-depth look at why varroa mites are a problem and what we should do about it. Varroa is a vehicle for deformed wing virus (DMV) and other viruses, and as the mite population increases it spreads DMV and other ills among the bees. Colonies will typically collapse from these viruses before the mites become a serious threat.

The most interesting section for me is part 3, where Randy discusses why varroa mites and DMV are getting progressively more virulent. Since commercial beekeepers tend to use bees bred mainly for growth and honey production, the resistance to varroa and DMV in these bees is rather low. This coupled with the fact that hives are kept close to each other encourages more dangerous forms of the virus to develop. If a hive collapses quickly, other bees will rob it out and bring the mites and viruses back to their hives.

If beekeepers insisted on more mite-resistant stock, the virus would spread less quickly. Hive collapses would be more likely to occur during winter, rather than before it. Virus and mite transmission would then more frequently occur in swarms and splits, which would favor less virulent strains of the virus.

Randy does a better job explaining the science (which I may not have completely correct), the point is that the majority of beekeepers would need to insist on mite-resistant stock. In fact, according to Randy, that is exactly what happened in South Africa. The beekeepers there did not have the resources to purchase miticides when varroa arrived. After devastating losses for a few years, the bees recovered and now beekeepers in South Africa do not generally worry about varroa mites. We are unlikely to eliminate the mites, we need to evolve into a more stable relationship between honey bees and mites.

It is a great series, and I look forward to future installments. Check it out.

The Times They are a-Changin’

This 1964 song by Bob Dylan was the title track on the album of the same name. Dylan wrote the song to capture the feeling of change in the 60’s, and numerous bands have performed the song as a cover since then. In 1984, Steve Jobs recited the second verse of the song during the Apple shareholders meeting, where he famously unveiled the Macintosh computer.

For this post, the times are changing for me in a number of ways. Aside from the seasonal change of the bees as we move from winter to spring, I just left my prior job this past week after over five years with the company. My new position starts on Monday, February 6, so cross your fingers for me.

We can also hope that the sense of change will take hold in the beekeeping world. It is difficult for any one beekeeper, especially a hobby beekeeper, to make an impact on the genetics of North American honey bees. We need the major queen breeders to start selecting for mite resistance, something they tend not to do today. So keep your eyes open and don’t speak too soon, cause the times they are a-changing.

May you prosper and find honey.

Source: Our Hives They Are a-Changin’ by Bees with eeb